-- From Grand Canyon to Mesa Verde
The road tracklog
from Grand Canyon to Mesa Verde
from 2011/04/04 to 2011/04/10
USA's National Parks
Monday April 04 I left with regret Grand Canyon after having published the pages of my website at the Park Headquarters where there is a WiFi connection. The night had been cold at 2100 m high, - 5°C. I made a short stop in Williams, historic city on Rout 66. I arrived tardily in Flagstaff to do shopping. I moved then towards Sedona to visit Oak Creek. The first campground that I met was closed until May. Disappointed I stopped at the edge of the road by hoping that the police would not dislodge me in the night.
Route 66
Williams
04/04/2011
Route 66
Williams
04/04/2011
Oak Creek
Red Rock Country, Sedona
The Land of Sedona is called the Red Rock Country. I spent the day in small walks from parking into parking to approach the geological features and to try to seize their pictures carrying sense. The city does not have anything pleasant, for me, too tourist, cloths stores, gifts, restaurants or hotels. The booklet of Visitor Center titrates, “Voted N°1 Most Beautiful Place in America” nothing less… Yes, after Monument Valley and Grand Canyon.
Red Country
Oak Creek
05/04/2011
Bell Rock
Sedona
05/04/2011
Court House
Sedona
05/04/2011
Fay Canyon
Sedona
05/04/2011
Fay Canyon
Sedona
05/04/2011
Cathedral
Sedona
05/04/2011
The following day I passed again through Flagstaff eastwards. The lunch pause took place in Winslow which had its heyday with the Route 66. Now the city is especially a passage of the Santa Fe railway. I wished to bivouac at the edge of Cholla Lake, but the entry was closed! I stationed in the vicinity on a waste ground.
Route 66
Winslow
06/04/2011
Standin' on the Corner
Winslow
06/04/2011
Route 66
Winslow
06/04/2011
Joke
Winslow
06/04/2011
Petrified Forest National Park
The visit of Petrified Forest NP took place by driving the 28 mile scenic road in the park with stops at the most remarkable places. The site is impressive by the number of fossilized trees covering the plain. The text below gives the scientific explanation of this fossilization. The plain is also covered by monticules with sparkling colors under the seldom ray sun in this dark, cold and windy day.
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Giant log
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Long Log
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Agate House
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
The Tepees
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Puerco Pueblo, Petroglyphs
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Painted Desert
Petrified Forest
07/04/2011
Navajoland
This long day of visit with grinds loadings and unloadings out of my truck finished in Ganado by the historic site of Hubbell Trading Post built in 1883 by John L. Hubbell to do trade with Navajo of which he was an attentive supporter after their terrible “Long Marche” and their imprisonment in Fort Summer, NM. I bivouacked on the spot.
Hubbell Trading Post
Ganado
07/04/2011
As of early morning I left in excursion to Window Rock, capital of Navajoland. I wished to see the memorial -to see the Gallery- built in memory of the Navajos soldiers using a code of transmission based on their language at the time of the Pacific War. It was built at the bottom of Window Rock which gave its name to the capital of Navajoland. I climbed the hill to see it from the top through the window.
Veteran's Memorial
Window Rock
08/04/2011
Veteran's Memorial
Window Rock
08/04/2011
Veteran's Memorial
Window Rock
08/04/2011
Hwy 191 to go to the Canyon of Chelly was swept by a violent wind transporting dust from the plateau and bushes like in Hollywood cow-boy movies.
En route
Hwy 191
08/04/2011
Canyon de Chelly
The canyon of Chelly is composed of several parts as cut by a knife by a “Higher Hand”. Caves in cliffs shelter Puebloan's houses, ancestors of Navajos. The plain at the bottom of the canyon is farming, it is impossible to visit without a local guide.
Veteran's Memorial
Canyon de Chelly
08/04/2011
Puebloan House, Mummy Cave
Canyon de Chelly
08/04/2011
Puebloan House
Canyon de Chelly
08/04/2011
Spider Rock
Canyon de Chelly
08/04/2011
Four Corners Navajo Tribal Park
Four Corners is the junction point at right angle of the four State borders, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, it is located in Navajoland. Violent gusts of wind swept the plain and clouds announced snow which was not long in falling.
Four Corners
09/04/2011
Four Corners
09/04/2011
En route
Hwy 160
09/04/2011
Mesa Verde National Park
I arrived tardily at Mesa Verde NP whose Visitor Center was closed and the Museum was it at 5 p.m. I have only time to traverse it to note that it was very interesting. The Indian culture is not reduced to Hollywood movies showing the charge of the US Cavalry to overcome the savages, Sioux, Cheyennes… Puebloans developed an urban civilization with farming various crops, maize, red bean etc In this season the campground into the park was also closed. I returned to Hwy 160 to bivouac on a waste ground.
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum, diorama
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Museum
Mesa Verde
09/04/2011
Sunday April 10 I returned to Mesa Verde after having spent one “white” night, of snow, with -8°C under my truck. I took part in a guided tour by a Ranger to visit Cliff Palace accompanied by very spiritual comments. Then alone I strolled to see other buildings in caves, Balcony House and Spruce Tree House. Finally I walked a 3-mile track to admire the most important panel of Petroglyphs in Mesa Verde. Of course there were other constructions but the cold was right of my physical resistance. I decided to go in a campground in Cortez. I will have an indelible memory of this visit.
Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde
10/04/2011
Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde
10/04/2011
Balcony House
Mesa Verde
10/04/2011
Spruce Tree House
Mesa Verde
10/04/2011
Petroglyphs
Mesa Verde
10/04/2011
